How does it work?
CUBS combines two distinct components to deliver valuable energy usage benchmarking.

• Analytical Component
  • The CUBS Administrator controls the analytical component.
  • The Administrator includes routines for combining and processing the required data.
  • A 'Results' database is produced with summary calculations by cohort, including percentile cutoffs to classify customer usage relative to other homes.
• Information Server
  • Upon customer request via the utility's web server, customer-specific results are accessed via the CUBS Server running SAS/Internet® software.
  • An easy-to-understand chart is prepared by the CUBS Server to identify the customer's energy usage relative to comparable homes.
  • The chart is returned to the customer's browser via the utility's web server.

CUBS features include:

• Provides a customer-specific chart identifying energy usage relative to comparable homes.
• Web-based and dynamically-generated, using SAS/Internet® software.
• Customized to meet the unique reporting and CIS capabilities of each utility.
• Easily refresh analysis with new billing data.
• Manageable approach to providing easy-to-understand home energy usage to customers.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• What does CUBS do to approximate comparable homes?

Homes are separated into groups of homes that share similar attributes. Each home in the group is then compared to the distribution of usage in the group to determine usage relative to comparable homes. Attributes can be customized for the utility, depending on needs and data availability, and generally include but are not limited to size, age, major end-uses (space heating / cooling, and water heating), and geography (weather zones).

• How does CUBS know housing specifics such as size, heat method and fuel type and what is the source of the data?

Actual data is pulled from CIS and home attribute data can come from CIS or external sources such as county assessor records. CUBS includes the process to match these assessor records to customer records in CIS. No data entry is required of customers.